In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

As well as being a novel that brings one into American life in the 1950’s and the tragic events of the three airplane crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Blume spins her magic in this novel and tells the story of the coming of age of the teenage characters.  The crashing of the planes also symbolizes the taking off of the rose colored glasses of the teenage characters to discover that their world is not all it seems with parental affairs, divorce, and first love gone wrong.

In the Unlikely Event is set primary in 1951 to 1952.  Miri lives in a three-generational home with her mother Rusty, Grandmother Irene, and Uncle Henry.   She wonders who her father was, but her mother won’t tell her.  Her best friend is Natalie who lives a luxurious life as daughter of Doctor Osner, the dentist.  Miri also meets the mysterious Mason at Natalie’s house, the friend of Natalie’s brother and discovers first love.  After the first plane falls everyone’s world starts to change.  As the planes keep falling, fear falls over the town.  Is it a conspiracy?  Who will be next to die as a plan falls from the sky? On the home front, will Miri find her father?  Will Mason be her one true love?

The story is told through a variety of characters in different sections.  Sometimes the characters only told one section.  I found this hard to focus at first as there were so many characters.   I got used to it and enjoyed the many points of view as I kept reading the novel.  Although I did start to get nervous when new characters got introduced and realized they could be potential victims for the next crash. 

I enjoyed the story.  I loved how the real history was woven throughout the coming of age tale.  I loved the detail of the live in the 1950’s.  I was devastated as I got to know characters and their lives came to an abrupt end due to these freak crashes.  This novel was the February FLICKS Book and Movie Club pick (aka Rogue Book Club). None of us sadly had finished the book on time, but what we had finished prompted good discussion.  I loved Judy Blume’s novels when I was younger, but this was the first “adult” book I read by her.  She is a truly wonderful novelist.

My favorite quotes:

I love this exchange between Mom, Grandma, and Daughter:

“For god’s sake,” Rusty said to Irene later.  “She’s not getting married.  She’s in ninth grade.”

Be careful, “Irene warned Miri.  “All boys want the same thing.”

This poignant scene brought tears to my eyes:

 “He visited the cemetery every day to talk to Estelle, to apologize for the things he’d done, to tell her she’d been his one and only love.  If I could do it over. ..  he’d cry.  Please, Stellie, give me another chance to prove how much I love you.  But Estelle never responded.  He stood alone as the winter wind whipped his hat off his head, hoping for a sign – a falling leaf, a dove flying by.  He’d have settled for a pigeon.  But there was nothing.  This is why he cried.”

This made me chuckle:

“Then they married each other and lived in single family houses with big backyards, had chubby babies and drank themselves to death.  Miri knew the part about drinking themselves to death wasn’t necessarily true.  She was just trying it out to make their lives seem less perfect.”

This was a disturbing scene from history that seems all too relevant today:

“(Senator Joseph) McCarthy in his typical wild swinging fashion, with no regard for facts but with a hold on is audience that is frightening, called Sun publisher Hank Greenspun an ‘ex-convict’ and an admitted Communist, publisher of the Las Vegas ‘Daily Worker.’”

A great overall summary of the novel:

“Life is a series of unlikely events, isn’t it?  Hers certainly was.  One unlikely event after another, adding up to a rich, complicated whole.  And who knows what’s still to come?”

Overall, In the Unlikely Event was a unique and riveting look at a true historical event and the ripple effects it had on the community.

Have you read any Judy Blume novels?  If so, which one is your favorite?

Book Source:  The Kewaunee Public Library – Thanks!

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Most of my reading these days is actually children’s books at night with my kids.  I once upon a time feel asleep reading my own adult novels, but now fall asleep while reading novels with my kids instead.  I wish I could post on all of the books we read together, but I sadly don’t have enough time.

My nine-year old son, Kile, who is in fourth grade, recently read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume with me.  We flip-flop read, I’ll read two pages and then he’ll read two pages.  Reading out loud is fun, and good bonding time.  Kile used to also have a speech impediment and reading out loud helped with this.  He is no longer in speech therapy, but still loves to read out loud with me.  I’m going to keep with this until he no longer wants to as I love reading with him.

I received our copy of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing in Christmas of 1987 from my beloved Great-Grandpa and Grandma Kile.  Kile was named after my Great-Grandparents and he loved seeing the inscription from them at the start of the book.  I remember enjoying it when I was a kid and in fourth grade, but I didn’t remember much about the story.

Peter Hatcher lives in an apartment in New York City with his mother, father, little brother Fudge, and turtle Dribble.  Fudge is only 2 and a half and drives Peter crazy with his antics.  He also feels like a fourth grade nothing as he believes that his brother gets more attention from everyone then he does.  When Fudge disappears with Dribble, he has finally gone too far.

Even though this book was written in the 1970’s, the storyline is still fresh and relatable.  As a parent now, I found all sorts of things humorous in the book that I know I probably missed reading as a kid.  My husband even laughed on the way through at this quote:

“It must be interesting to have children.  We never had any ourselves.  But if we did,” Mr. Yarby told my father,” we would teach them some manners.  I’m a firm believer in old-fashioned good manners!”

“So are we, Howard,” my father said in a weak voice.

That still makes me laugh reading it. I love when people with no kids or people that have gotten older and have forgotten what it is like to have young kids say things like that.  Because if your child has a moment of not behaving or wanting to play instead of sitting still, you must not be teaching them manners.

Kile enjoyed the book as well, especially the part about being an older brother with an exasperating younger brother.  He found that relatable, although his younger brother is only two years younger than him.  He did get nervous about the naughtiness as times though.  Kile does not like to read or watch shows where people are misbehaving.

Overall, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was an enjoyable read for both Mother and Son.

Book Source:  A Gift from my Great-Grandparents in 1987